Charity welcomes £50,000 donation towards new vet clinic.
Birmingham Dogs Home (BHD) has received £50,000 from Animal Friends Insurance to put towards a new on-site veterinary clinic.
The charity, which cares for around 2,000 homeless dogs each year, will use the money to remodel a section of its existing building to include an X-ray room, two wards, and a separate entrance for sick and injured dogs.
It means that BDH will be able to provide emergency procedures and immediate pain relief to its residents, as well as drastically reduce its annual veterinary bill.
“Animal Friends is a fabulous organisation with fabulous people and we are delighted that they share our vision to provide the very best level of medical care possible for abandoned and neglected dogs, commented Giles Webber, chief executive of Birmingham Dogs Home. “Their support will make a real difference to the lives and futures of rescue dogs in our community for years to come.”
Established in 1892, Birmingham Dogs Home aims to ‘Rescue, Reunite and Rehome’ dogs from across the West Midlands and the South Staffordshire area.
Last year, the charity had to spend more than £230,000 of supporter donations on veterinary care. It has an annual bill of around £30,000 for X-rays alone, which cost approximately £300 per procedure at a commercial veterinary practice.
By investing in its facilities, BDH hopes to see these costs fall by as much as 70 per cent. Other planned facilities at the new clinic include three consultation rooms, a dental room, and an isolation room.
“Our donation will not only pay for a dedicated X-ray room and equipment which will be at the heart of the new veterinary clinic, but it will also help empower the charity to drastically enhance how it operates and the number of dogs it can help, saving tens of thousands of pounds every year in the process,” said Westley Pearson, chief executive officer at Animal Friends.
“The new facilities will enable an immediate diagnosis for dogs with multiple, complex medical conditions that come into the charity’s care. This will mean dogs can receive immediate treatment and will recover more quickly, leading to them spending less time in the kennels, before finding their forever homes.”
Two independent vets have launched a podcast to help owners strengthen their bond with pets. Dr Maggie Roberts and Dr Vanessa Howie, who have worked in both veterinary practice and major charities, are keen to use their experience to enable people to give pets a better life.
